INEXORABLE

Chapter Twenty One - More Than A Friend

Once they were done with their breakfast, the duke requested Ash to join him in his study. As they entered the study, Ash's eyes fell on the pile of documents on his desk. The thought of the workload that needs to be handled suddenly gives her a slight headache. A sense of déjà vu washed over her.

The duke sat on his throne, engrossed in his work, while Ash could not help but roam around the room, curiously checking her surroundings. Her gaze fell upon the window, and as she looked outside, she realized she could see everything from up there. The parlor, the tree, the garden—all the places where she had spent her time with Liandra.

Realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. This means that the duke could have been watching her from the start. She gulped and looked back at the duke.

"You can see almost everything from up here," Ash commented.

"I can only see you," the duke replied. His focus is still on the documents before him.

A playful glint entered her eyes as she asked, "So, you admit that you're watching me all this time huh? Are you an ogler?"

The duke chuckled softly and said, "Not to that extent, but it's rich coming from someone who enjoys staring at people in their sleep."

"Only because it was you," she countered, standing close beside him.

The duke almost stabbed the paper with his fountain pen after hearing the bold statement from Ash, but he managed to keep his cool.

"Ian, can I request you something?" Ash inquired.

"Yes, go ahead," he replied.

"Can I excuse myself now? I want to meet Liandra. I haven't seen her since I've arrived. Even last night, I only got a glimpse of her."

The duke gently took Ash's hand and said, "A little longer; stay with me."

"All right," Ash replied with an understanding tone.

Ash grabbed some books from the shelf and settled on the couch to kill time while waiting for the duke to finish his work. Little did she know that the duke stole glances at her at every chance he got, enjoying the sight of her immersed in her reading.

As the evening approached, the duke finally excused Ash, giving her time for herself. It's been several days now since the same scenario happened. This had become somewhat of a norm for them, where he would let her spend time with Liandra, but the duke still did not allow Ash to leave the palace no matter what she said, as he did not want history to repeat itself.

In Liandra's company, Ash could not help but vent her frustration. "Urgh, your brother is a pain in the ass."

"Well, sometimes he can become like that," Liandra replied.

"Sometimes you said?" Ash retorted. "That was generous. To me, he's been like that all the time, ever since we first met."

"But he was kind to you, wasn't he? Your friends are allowed to visit you now."

"Hmm, I guess he was."

Ash managed to convince the duke to allow her friends to visit. She patiently waited for their arrival. After some time, familiar faces appeared, and one of them ran straight to her and embraced her tightly. It was Theo. He seemed a bit upset, having heard about the news of her betrothal from others and not from Ash herself. What makes it worse is that both Neil and Ruland foresee these, which angers him more. He feels left out of the whole situation.

"Ash, I missed you."

"Theo, we are in the palace. It would be best if you watched your words and actions when in Ms. Ash's presence. She is now the future duchess," Neil advised, reminding him to mind his manners and words.